


You'd think that people would've had enough of silly sad love songs

by Gaia_bing



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Attempt at Humor, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Karaoke, Light Angst, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Romance, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:13:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29159451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gaia_bing/pseuds/Gaia_bing
Summary: Some people want to fill the world,With silly sad love songs.And really, what's wrong with that?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 8
Kudos: 35





	1. Take a look at me now

**Author's Note:**

> So, new story for Valentine's Day! Once again, I've got the whole thing written, I just need for to go through the editing and the posting process and we'll be good to go! :)

James "Bucky" Barnes was looking at the sign, his arms crossed and his mind completely confused.

  
_**"Winter Falcon's Valentine Special! Only Sad Oldies Love Songs Karaoke Saturday!"** _

He turned his head towards the man that he co-owned his cherished bar with, who was grinning like he just had the idea of the century.

  
"Okay, first of all, what's with the capitals at the beginning of each word and all the little pink hearts? It looks like a 7 year-old wrote this thing." he asked, really nonplussed by what he was seeing.

  
But Sam Wilson, his frien-... acquain-...partner? His business partner of five years now, thanks to some meddling by an actual friend of his (or more precisely, one of his very best friends in the entire world) just kept on smiling, the gap between his teeth front and center, as he also crossed his arms and replied: "Oh, come on! It's for Valentine's Day, it's supposed to be all frilly and romantic and shit. Get into the spirit, man!"

  
"Get into the spirit?!" Bucky exclaimed in an exasperated manner. "Get into the spirit of what? Heart candies that taste like crap and giant teddy bears that you end up throwing in the trash because you just don't have the space to keep it?" Shaking his head, he headed back into the building with a sigh. "Get into the spirit, really." he muttered as Sam followed behind him. 

  
"You know what? All that complaining about consumerism that you just made? It belongs in the Christmas department and _not_ Valentine's Day. And you _should_ get in the spirit, actually. Because what I see as our biggest business night of this entire year is going to be happening tomorrow and I for one do not want you buhumbing all over it, you got me?" the tooth-gaped man carefully warned him.

  
That made Bucky turn around once more. "Oh right, that makes me remember the second point I wanted to bring up: if tomorrow is supposed to be our biggest business night of the entire year, then why in the world are you doing everything in your power to get us the least costumers possible?"

  
Now Sam was the one looking confused. "What do you mean?" 

  
The long-haired man looked at him like this was the most obvious thing in the entire world. "Only sad oldies songs? I'm sorry, but with that kind of theme, we're only going to attract two kind of people: the sad-sacks that dumped somebody and want to whine their night away on a microphone and the sad-sacks that got dumped by somebody and want to whine away on a microphone. And really, as big as this city is, these two parts of the population isn't all that numerous."

  
Sam opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but quickly closed it. "Well, what about the sad sacks that want to whine their night away on a microphone because they never got dumped and that's because they never even had someone in their life before, huh? What about them?" 

  
But Bucky had enough of this conversation. "Look, just make another sound check on the machine and text me if there's any problem with it. You're the one that wanted to diversify our services with a karaoke booth, so you should be the one responsible for maintaining the thing." 

  
"...only if you check out the stock when you come in later on tonight to make sure we've got enough alcohol to get us through Saturday." Sam countered as the other man picked up his keys and his phone.

  
The long-haired man sighed as he slowly began to make his way out the bar's door. "Fine. Even though I'm 100% sure we've got enough to last us until at least Saint-Patrick's, if it gets you off my back for a little while, I'll do it."

  
"Like anything is worthy enough to make me get off your back, you February Scrooge!" called out Sam at Bucky's retreating form.

  
"Oh, bite me, you Consumism Fanatic!" retorted Bucky.

  
"Hate you, man!!" saluted Sam with a slight grin and a left middle finger.

  
"Hate you right back, buddy!!" Bucky said right back, saluting the other man the same way.

* * *

  
_Meanwhile, in an apartment just two blocks from there..._

  
"Alrighty?...ready, set, go!"

  
Bucky couldn't help but grin when he opened the door and saw his best friend and roommate gleefully sitting on their living-room couch, headset on, controller in hands, doing what he'd always done best:

  
Playing videogames.

  
And no, it wasn't because Steve Rogers was a giant man-child that hadn't grown up from his teenage or even his college years (which was the period he and Bucky actually met, by the way), but because he had taken one of the things he'd always loved doing during his spare time and had turned it into a full blown profession, just like the long-haired man had done when it came to mixology.

  
But right now, loving what he did or not, Bucky was just glad to be home, even for just a couple of hours.

  
"Ooh, look at that! This guy's arms are jiggling like a bunch of tentacles now!" he heard his best friend suddenly exclaimed and saw him turning his head, grinning as he finally noticed his presence. "Hey! 'Wasn't waiting for you to show up until after midnight."

  
Scratching the back of his neck, Bucky said with tiredness in his voice: "Yeah, well Sam showed me what he prepared for tomorrow evening and I...I just needed to get out of there for a couple of hours before I throttled him with my bare hands." Slumping down on the couch next to his best friend, he asked for what might have been the thousandth time over the last five years: "Tell me again why I agreed to get him as my business partner and not you?"

  
And Steve, like always, replied with a sympathetic smile: "Because you need someone to challenge you when comes to business, like Sam usually do, and not someone who's going to end up agreeing to every decision that you end up making, like I usually do." Taking off his headset and putting down his controller, he patted the opened space between his legs, into which the long-haired man almost melted, because he knew what all of this meant:

  
Time to get one of the very-seeked out but not often-delivered Steve Rogers back massages.

  
Changing the subject as he bit back the beginning of a relaxing moan, Bucky looked at the TV screen, where the game on display had been put on _Pause_ for the time being, and asked: "Let me guess: new "Insight" gig?"

  
Steve grinned behind his form as his fingers did their magic over his best friend's shoulders. "Yep, got the review copy yesterday, started the Solo Campaign this morning and I was trying out the Online one when you came in. Pietro says hi by the way."

  
Bucky smiled at the man's name. Steve and Pietro were part of a mega-millions worth entity called Insight.com, a website that reviewed everything that the entertainment industry had to offer from everywhere you could get it. Be it blockbuster movies, TV dramas, streaming anime, indie music or videogames like the pair were assigned to regularly. While Steve handled testing each game to its full capacity to see just how polished the finished product really was, Pietro handled everything localization live from his home in Sokovokia, as he'd been a language prodigy ever since the moment a vowel first came out of his baby mouth.

  
"Well, as soon as you end up finishing that patented massage of yours and get your game on again, you can say hi back to him for me." he replied. "So, what do you think you're gonna end up giving this thing?" he added, pointing at the paused TV screen.

  
"Oh, a one out of ten, if this keeps going the way it's going!" Steve replied with a laugh. Absolutely destroying the larges knots down the long-haired man's spine, he continued: "I've seen my share of bugs in my lifetime, but this one's got so much you would think somebody was purposely breeding them in its entrails or something."

  
Now it was Bucky's turn to laugh. "Yeah, well, at least you seem to have a couple of good business nights ahead of you, unlike me that's probably going to come face to face with the slump of the century when Saturday night comes along." 

  
Steve's hands stopped what they were doing on the other man's lower back. "Hey, come on now! Tomorrow's Valentine's Day! I'm sure it's going to be couples galore and therefore cash galore all throughout your shift." he tried to reassure the other man, but Bucky wasn't really feeling it.

"Yeah, it's going to be more like Embarrassment Galore with what Sam's set up." he replied, sighing and then laying his head against his best friend's shoulder. "Only Sad Oldies Love Songs Karaoke, can you believe he wants _that_ to be a selling point?"

  
Turning his head to look at the other man, Steve said as he slowly encircled Bucky's waist from behind: "Well, if you think it's going to be Embarrassment Galore and a slow business night to boot, why not reduce your scheduled Valentine's shift at the bar just a little bit and spend the rest of the evening with me?"

  
Bucky smiled gratefully at the proposition. He was about to agree with a thank you on top of it all when he suddenly turned his head and found himself into something he always dreaded whenever they happened...

  
One of those a-little-bit-too situation.

  
You know, as in, a hand resting a little bit too long on a shoulder, a stare a little bit too long between the two of them, a hug just a little bit too tight for it to be between two simple best friends, those kinds of things.

  
And right now, Bucky and Steve were stuck in its most common form, one that happened quite on the regular ever since the moment that they met:

  
They were trapped in a little bit too close kind of situation. 

  
With a sudden chuckle, Bucky quickly disentangled himself from Steve's muscled arms and standing up, he finally said without looking at the other man: "Yeah, an early Saturday night sounds great! We can get some pizzas, watch a movie or play one of your best-reviewed games you've still got in there somewhere...you know, what two best pals usually do!" Quickly making his way toward his bedroom door, he added as he crossed its threshold: "Would you be kind and wake me up in about three hours? You know what? Never mind, I can get up all by myself and go back to the bar to check some of the inventory before tomorrow night comes long, because it's going to be a day just like any other! With no romance at all! And even less, a romantic-less day, because all the dumpers and all the dumpees are totally going to kill the mood where I work! Which is the bar, which is why I should just shut up and get some shut eye. Okay? Okay!"

  
And with that final rambling, the long-haired man left Steve sitting on the couch, with his mind still reeling by what had happened...

  
...yet again...

  
Picking up his headset once more and putting it back over his ear, Steve said with an certainty he hadn't felt as strong before:

  
_"Yeah, Pietro? I think you're right. Those moments with Bucky aren't just in my head."_


	2. Can't we try (just a little harder)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can't Steve try just a little bit more?

When next morning came and Steve heard the sound of the front door closing, he got himself out of bed like a man on a mission.

  
Because the truth was, he really _was_ on a mission: 

  
To tell James Buchanan Barnes his true feelings. 

  
But there was one slight problem: 

  
"How in the world am I supposed to be romantic, on the day that you're pretty much obliged to be, when the only person in the entire world that totally hates this day is the one person I wanna be romantic with?!" the blonde-haired man complained to Pietro, this time over the phone. 

  
...hey, communicating without a plugged-in headset with the guy that pretty much opened up your eyes after all this time about all those moments you felt weird but you just couldn't place a name on that particular feeling was worth the 9,75$ a minute, alright?

  
"Oh, come on now." said the younger man from his side of the planet, "Nobody can't totally hate romance. That is, unless they were a robot. Are you sure that James is not a robot?"

  
Steve rolled his eyes from his own side of the planet. "You know, as insightful and as smart as you can be for your age sometimes, there are other times when I wonder if the fact that you're only 19 means that your brain hasn't fully developed yet. And no, Buck isn't a robot. He just hates the concentrated cheese of it all. There was also something about bear candies, but this one I never really understood."

  
Pietro went silent for a moment. "Well, I think the best way to make somebody see you in a different light is to actually present yourself in that different light. And since James doesn't like the extra cheesy romantic stuff, why not keep it simple and low-key? Tell me: have you ever dressed nicely in front of James?"

  
Now it was Steve's turn to be silent for an instant. "...no. Unless it was to go on a date with somebody other than him, that is." he answered. 

  
"Hm." Pietro seemed to think. "And have you ever done something nice with him other than some best friend buddy-buddy stuff? Like share a slow-dance with him for example?" 

  
"Again no." Steve answered with a frown. "But, I *did* pull his hair back when I found him throwing up at a frat party back in college. That's how he and I met, actually."

  
"Look, I'm sorry Steven, but while pulling someone's hair back when they're puke-drunk at a party is a really nice gesture, it's not something that you can do when you want to show that particular someone that you can be more than just a friend to him. Pietro replied, sounding exasperated.

  
"Well, what do you want me to do? I for one can't dance to save my life and the only "nice clothes" that I have right now is some three-piece tuxedo suit that I rented for my cousin's cousin's wedding and that I *still* haven't given back!" again Steve was the one now sounding exasperated. 

  
"Hey, don't get mad at me! The only thing I can give you here is advice, not the foot skills that you need to do what you want and the necessary attire to look how you want." admonished Pietro. When a female called out from his end of the line that _"the paprikash was ready"_ , the younger man added: "Look, my sister just called me to dinner. Because unlike you, Valentine's Day is practically over around here. Are you going to be alright?"

  
Sighing, Steve replied: "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll just...do something simple and like you said I should. I don't know what exactly, but I will."

  
"Good. Let me know how it goes?" 

  
"Yeah, yeah, of course."

  
And, after hanging up, Steve licked his lips and rubbed his hands together as he thought to himself:

  
_"Welp, looks like I've got a whole day worth of low-key romantic planning to get to!"_

* * *

  
Meanwhile across the street, Bucky was looking at the songs list that Sam's karaoke machine contained and...

  
...oh _boy_.

  
Tonight was going to be an even bigger disaster and crowd displeaser than he'd originally thought.

  
Because the songs on there? Absolutely nothing that came out after the year 2005.

  
Hell, he'd be quite surprised if anything out of this actually came out after the year 1995. 

  
Well, if a slow business night meant that he could go home early for once and not have to witness all of the sad-sacks, whom Bucky now know would be as old as they'd be sad, just wailing their pain over and over again, then maybe this was a sacrifice that he was willing to take. 

  
But then again, if that sacrifice meant that he'd be alone with Steve...spending the evening with him on Valentine's Day...

  
The day after they had one of their infamous "situations" together, all the while knowing that someone as perfect as his best friend would never, ever go for someone as imperfect as he was...

  
...welp, now Bucky had no idea which situations between the two would be the most uncomfortable to be in.

  
But luckily for him, he would never have to find out.

  
As Murphy's law took one look at his predicament and told itself right then and there:

  
_"Heh, why not be unpredictable for a change?"_


	3. I can't make you love me (if you don't)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can't make your heart feel somethin' it won't...

She was sitting at the bar, twirling a plastic baton in her dry Manhattan when she noticed him enter: light hair, blue eyes, boyish looks. All wrapped up in a fine, _fine_ Italian looking suit. The total package.

  
His breath caught in his throat when his eyes fell upon her: brunette, brown eyes, an absolute stunner of a woman. And all of it wrapped up in a tight blue number that only accentuate everything that was desirable about her. 

  
He almost glided throughout the room to finally sit by her side. 

  
"Hey." he said in a husky tone.

  
"Hi." she answered back in a whispery voice.

  
While all of this was going on, in the background could be heard...

  
...almost like a soundtrack of the two of them falling in love...

  
...a man absolutely sobbing his lungs out on a microphone, as he bellowed to anyone that could hear (and surprisingly, that was quite the number of people):

  
"...to take a lot of pain! Take a lot of pain! Love is like a cloud, holds a lot of rain! Love hurts! Oooohhh [love hurts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy59p5FEDA8)!!!!"

* * *

  
In an apartment across the street, someone in a simple black shirt was putting some cutlery on top of a simple white napkinned-table. 

  
Steve looked at his watch:

6:09PM. 

And looked at the phone message Bucky had sent him around 5PM earlier that night:

_"Well, looks like Valentine's Night might a bust, just like I predicted. Not a mouse in this house, at least so far. But maybe it's just people are still eating at this point and just aren't ready to par-tay at this point, but meh. If the same kind of flow of people is the same by the time my cigarette break rolls around, which is usually around 7:00, I'm leaving bartending duties to Sam for the rest of the night and getting the hell back here! So yeah, I hope you got your gaming fingers and and pizza eating skills up on alert, because come 7:30PM I am coming to kick your ass in both of those fronts!"_

But, smiling to himself, the blonde-haired man had other plans when it came time to he and Bucky's planned night in:

First, no background music, as he knew the other man would hate it. 

Speaking of mood, when it came to ornaments, a single red rose would also do the trick. It wasn't that grandiose, it meant that this evening was just a buddy-buddy get together and it seemed to gently whisper promises of great things to come. 

Although...would petals being spread be a little bit too-? yeah, rose petals being spread would be a little bit too much.

As for the meal that they were going to share, forget pizza.

Because right now, inside the oven, thanks to the power of "YouTube" tutorial videos, was cooking Bucky's favorite lasagna meal, made...

...and remade and remade and remade...

...his very proud, but also so very tired roommate. 

Steve smiled as he tasted the tomato sauce once more: hmm, perfect. 

Putting the lid back on it, he looked at his watch one more time: 6:45PM.

This gave him enough time to put on the red tie that he'd borrowed from his also-borrowed three-piece suit and to finalize the gift he intended to give his best friend on this quite commercial but still quite romantic day:

His heart.

* * *

"[You have no right](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5uKEpOYSqY&ab_channel=DuetsFeaturings)!! To ask me how I feel!! You have no right!! To speak to me so kind!!"  
  
It was now two hours later and the couple that Bucky had served earlier were the ones now standing at the karaoke machine, giving their all even though they were both totally off-key.

And the whole thing was leaving the poor bartender absolutely perplexed. Since when did oldies sad love songs became:

1) Such a young crowd pleaser, since all the people in the bar right now (and again, it was a whole lot of people) looked to be in the 20-30 years old group, when Bucky had thought he wouldn't serve anybody tonight under the age of 45?  
and also

2) Judging by the way the young couple made out between almost every sentence they sang, such an aphrodisiac?

Had...had Bucky been wrong about the whole thing?

He looked at his watch once more...7:10PM. Shit.

If he hadn't had the time for his daily cigarette break he'd been so busy, how in the world was he going to slide out the backdoor and leave the rest of the night on Sam's shoulders only?

Because, as much as he just wanted to pop his business partner on the side of the head sometimes, James Barnes hadn't been raised to be a _complete_ asshole. 

* * *

  
It was now 7:45 and Steve was getting a bit worried.

He was sitting at the kitchen table, his head in one palm, his other hand busy drumming against the napkin.

What was taking the other man so long? Had he decided to buy some pizza directly from a restaurant somewhere in the city and that's why he was late? But then, if he had done that, it would totally spoil everything the blonde man had set up. 

And, if he'd scheduled to be late, why in the world had the long-haired man not called or tex-

But a ringing of his phone interrupted Steve's wary thoughts and...

Yeah, Bucky's reason for being late was worse than getting a simple pizza.

 _"So, it turns out that Only Sad Oldies Love Songs Karaoke can in fact be quite the selling point. I've never seen a crowd like this since, well, even at New Years'. And my stupid ass thought we would be okay alcohol-wise through at least the middle of March. And oh god, Tony Stark just came in on top of everything. Jesus. If me or Sam don't do an emergency boose-buy right now, we're going to be 100% dry before the night is even over. So, as you can see, I'm going to have to take a raincheck on that gaming and pizza night. But I'll make it up to you at a later date. Promise, cross my heart!"_ the other man had texted him and yeah, Steve understood.

It was fine, no it was! 

Really... it was. 

He could just put the lasagna in the fridge and tell Bucky he bought it all made at the grocery store on a discount. 

He could just blow out the candles he'd set up on the kitchen table and in his bedroom and say that he'd feared there would be a blackout and that was why he'd ended up lighting some. 

He could tear up the note, the one that he'd the intention of giving to Bucky instead of desert and that contained everything that he felt for the other man. He could just rip it to pieces and pretend he'd never written it in the first place. 

Because after all, he was just Steve Rogers, good old buddy and roommate of James Buchanan Barnes. And all those moments when he thought there was something more between them? The ones that had compelled him to finally crack and call his work colleague and talk and talk and talk about Bucky for over three hours straight instead of, you know, actually doing some work? 

They had all been in his head, of course. 

And really, who'd he been kidding? 

There was no way that someone as perfect as Bucky had always been would ever give a chance to someone as imperfect as Steve had always been.

It was fine, it really was.

Steve would just put everything away,

Including his feelings.

  
And he'd just pretend like what he wanted to do tonight had never even crossed his mind in the first place. 

  
And everything would be just...fine...

  
...but then again, if everything was indeed and eventually would be fine,

  
Why in the world was Steve still sitting there, arms wrapped around himself and tears silently streaming down his face?


	4. All Out of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm reaching for you, are you feeling it too?
> 
> Does the feeling seem, oh, so right?

_"Oh,[it's a heartache](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSAow-RRQuI)! Nothing but a heartache! Hits you when it's too late, hits you when you're dooowwnn!"_

  
It was now 9:45 and while the crowd of costumers had thinned itself just a bit, the karaoke machine was still running at full throttle, as there was now a group of three girls, all blondes and looking not older than 25, seemingly having the time of their life while belting out some good old Bonnie Tyler. While everyone around them, instead of using matches so the place wouldn't actually burn down to the ground, swayed their cellular phones back and forth, their flashlight apps on to encourage them...

  
...and that included one Tony Stark, who was sitting at the bar with a wide grin on his face.

  
Now Tony Stark...nobody around these parts really knew anything about that man.

  
Well, except for three things:

  
1) He could drink _anyone_ around said parts under the table. (and it wasn't like Sam _and_ Bucky hadn't tried, many times.)

  
2) He tipped _very_ well, but no one knew how or where he got that kind of money.

  
3) Every time he showed up, even if it was for the whole night, he always exited through the backdoor, as if he didn't want to be caught by something or by someone. (Bucky had money on the paparazzi, while his business partner opted for some thugs he "borrowed" his tipping cash from.)

  
And tonight here he was, seemingly having the time of his life, smiling like a loon while sipping on his traditional "Double-Trouble", a double gin-double bourbon concoction Bucky had invented in his early mixology days and had become one of the bar's most sought out drinks. 

  
Speaking of the long-haired man, now that he was in his almost 5th straight hour of bartending of the night, he couldn't help himself: he let out a yawn. A gesture a bit too loud maybe, as as soon as he closed his mouth back up and opened up his eyes, he found himself face to face with the concerned look of one of his favorite costumers from the other side of the bar.

  
"What's up Bucky-cup? You look like you're one push away from going nighty-night right on the floor."

  
But the man in question dismissed Tony's concern with a wave of the hand as he replied: "It's nothing. I just had trouble sleeping last night and it's catching up with me, that's all."

  
That made the older man raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Are you sure it's not because you're bored of all those...what did you call them again the other night? Ah yes, those "whimpy-whympey" songs that you hate so goddamn much?"

  
"Hey, look!" Bucky tried to defend himself. "Just because I find old breakup songs to be a total cheese-fest that doesn't really deserve my time, it doesn't mean that everybody feel that way. I mean sure, at first I thought it was, but look! Everyone who goes up to do a song seems to really love it. "

  
"Hmm-hmm." was all Tony replied, batting his eyes rapidly.

  
"...why are you looking at me like that?"

  
But a voice behind him quickly answered his question, as Sam suddenly seemed to appear out of nowhere and said with a shit-eating grin of his own: "And would that "everyone" include you, by any chance?"

  
The long-haired man gulped. "Me? Why in the world would I go up there? I already told you, I hate sad love longs!"

  
"Come on, Buckaroo! Join in the fun! If me and Sam can go and do a fine, _fine_ [Dan Hill and Patty Smyth](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX9aASk3Df0), you can do it too!" Tony implored, batting his eyes even more rapidly than before.

  
The long-haired man looked at Sam, who was now batting his eyes in a pleading manner, even more faster than Tony somehow. But, still having some resolve, he tried his last line of defense: "But-but if I go up there and somebody wants a drink, who's gonna give it to them?"

  
But all the response he got from that particular excuse? 

  
A shared look between Sam and Tony, a sudden push towards the karaoke machine and a call from behind his form that said: "You're not the only one that can mix drinks in this joint, you know!"

  
And, as Bucky thickly swallowed once more, he gathered up his courage and prayed that this would get the now cackling duo sitting by the bar off his back for at _least_ the next decade.

  
In front of him, about three dozen people were waiting for him to belt out a tune. Some were standing, some were sitting but they all had one thing in common: all of them were making a single peep.

  
"Alright." he told himself as he checked the songs catalog to see what hadn't been picked yet, trying not to get too nervous in front of the crowd that was watching him so intently. 

  
"[George Michael](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izGwDsrQ1eQ)? No. [Phil Collins](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Jdg1i6J1yY)? Dear god, no! [Cinderella](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i28UEoLXVFQ)? Oh, sweet Jesus..."

  
He was about to chicken out and get off the stage...

  
...when suddenly...

  
_"I'm all out of love, I['m so lost without you](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr3dJxeT4oA)!! I know you were right, believing for so long!!"_

  
...Bucky knew that voice. 

  
Coming from the front of the bar, right by its door. Bucky knew that voice by heart. 

  
The one that resonated down the hallway whenever he heard the shower running,

  
The one whenever a good videogame track came along and its owner would sing it because he thought nobody was there to witness him doing so,

  
The one that was so always goddamn off-key, just like it was right now,

  
But that came from someone Bucky just knew he could never leave without. 

  
And so, without really having to think about it, he put up the microphone right to his lips and, with his as off-key voice, replied right back:

  
_"I'm all out of love, what am I without you? I can't be too late to say that I was so wrong!!"_

  
And the crowd, still so quiet a nail could be heard if it suddenly dropped, melted right on the spot, as a pair of formerly blind idiots suddenly each saw the light and gave each other one hell of a little-too-moment:

  
Because if there had been some kids in the now cheering crowd that night, then the kiss that the pair ended sharing would been a little bit too hot for them to witness.

  
Meanwhile at the back of the bar, a smirking Sam and Tony looked on. 

  
"Man, I hope that whenever their wedding comes along, I get an honorable mention as "King of the meddlers" somewhere in the middle of all their speeches." the client said as he crossed his arms. 

  
The bartender by interim looked at the other man, a bit confused. "What do you mean, you're the king? We both played an equal role into getting Bucky get up there, I'll let you know."

  
"Yeah, maybe. But you didn't play one in getting Steve Rogers down here, as far as I know." retorted Tony.

  
"...wait, wha-?" was all Sam could ask.

  
"Oh, no need to thank me, I'm just an employer looking after the well-being of his fellow employees, no matter how much up their asses their heads really are. Now, shush. The two attractive men at the front are still making out."

  
And with that, Tony Stark made his way out of his favorite place in the whole world: the backdoor.


	5. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At 15 minutes past midnight, on February 15th...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue time! I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed/kudosed/bookmarded/subscribed or just read this fanfic. Thank you so much and Happy Valentine's Day in advance! :)

Somewhere, inside an apartment kitchen...

  
"Hmm, this is perfect."

  
A long-haired man wearing only some boxer shorts and a black shirt that didn't actually belong to him,

  
"Do you like it?"

  
"I love it, thanks."

  
Was being fed some reheated but still delicious pasta made by the person he was sitting on top of, a blonde-haired man that was also only wearing boxer shorts and a soft smile upon his face.

  
And why couldn't Bucky feed himself, you may ask?

  
Well, it was because of the single red rose that was twirling between his two hands, of course.

  
And it gave him a reason to feed the man he was sharing a single kitchen chair with right back.

  
The long-haired man grinned as he tenderly caressed his new love's broad chest with the flower. "You know, if you continue to pamper me like that, there's a risk I might actually come to _like_ Valentine's day."

  
Steve swallowed the last bit his new love had just put in his mouth. "Oh yeah? And would that really be so bad?"

  
"Well, as long as I don't get to throw away some of my stuff so that I can fit a giant teddy bear somewhere in my bedroom, I think my mind can be changed on that particular subject." Bucky replied with grin and a soft peck on Steve's lips.

  
When at last they separated, the blonde man's face turned a bit nervous as, reaching over and grabbing a folded piece of paper, he said as he gave it to the other man: "Well, I don't know if this is going to change your mind about Valentine's day, but I do hope it helps you make a decision about having a future with me past that particular date."

  
Intrigued, Bucky opened up the letter, read its short content and with a smile, he simply answered:

  
"I did not need to read that to know I wanted to have a future with you past February the 14th. I want a future with you on February the 15th..."

  
With that, he leaned down and pecked him again on the mouth.

  
"On February the 16th..."

  
With that one, he kissed Steve once again, but this time a bit longer.

  
"On the 17th."

  
With that one, Steve grabbed Bucky by the hips and stood up from the kitchen chair.

  
"On the 18th."

  
With that one, Bucky was gently laid down on the kitchen table, while his love kissed his neck over and over again.

  
"On the..."

  
But James "Bucky" Barnes never got to finish that one, as his lips and his tongue suddenly became preoccupied at kissing the holy hell out of Steve Rogers.

  
And so, right there on the kitchen table, despite getting together again and again and again...

  
...and again and again...

  
The pair got together once again, as a piece of folded paper slowly fell onto the floor.

  
And what did that particular piece of paper said?

  
_**"Sad or not, to me every love song will always be a selling point. Why? Because in my heart they have always been and always will be about you."** _


End file.
